Beyond Technocracy: A Sufi-Maqasid Epistemological Synthesis for the Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta (KBC) in Islamic Education

Authors

  • M Isroul Laili Institut Agama Islam Al Yasini Pasuruan, Indonesia Author
  • Ahmad Burhan Jazuli Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Ar Rosyid Surabaya Author
  • Muhammad Fodhil Universitas KH. A. Wahab Hasbullah Jombang, Indonesia Author
  • Moh Saiful Mustofa Universitas Pangeran Diponegoro Nganjuk, Indonesia Author
  • Luthfi Universitas Annuqayah Guluk-guluk Sumenep, Indonesia Author
  • Ahmad Thohir Ma'had Aly Langitan Tuban, Indonesia Author
  • Imad Syauqi Universitas KH. A. Wahab Hasbullah Jombang, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53515/alqodiri.v24i2.118

Keywords:

slamic Education, Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta, Maqasid alShariah, Sufi Epistemology, Transformative Pedagogy

Abstract

The accelerating dominance of technocratic rationality and performative accountability within contemporary education has generated profound concern regarding the erosion of spirituality, ethical consciousness, and holistic human formation in Islamic educational institutions. Although the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs introduced the Kurikulum Berbasis Cinta (KBC) as a transformative curriculum initiative intended to restore compassion, relationality, and human-centered learning, the curriculum remains epistemologically fragile due to the absence of a coherent philosophical framework integrating spirituality, ethics, cognition, and transformative pedagogy. Addressing this gap, the present study develops a Sufi-Maqasid Epistemological Synthesis Model (SM-ESM) as a post-technocratic curriculum architecture for contemporary Islamic education. Employing a qualitative conceptual-hermeneutic design grounded in critical Islamic educational philosophy, the study analysed classical Islamic texts, contemporary scholarly literature, and official KBC policy documents through purposive and criterion-based selection. The findings reveal that the integration of Sufi epistemology and Maqasid al-Shariah systems thinking reconstructs the epistemological foundations of Islamic curriculum discourse by positioning love not merely as an affective value, but as an ontological, ethical, and pedagogical principle governing knowledge, human flourishing, and educational purpose. The study further demonstrates that the tri-yaqin epistemological ascent fundamentally redefines Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) through the integration of conceptual understanding, reflective awareness, and ethical-spiritual embodiment oriented toward ihsan-consciousness. Moreover, the alignment between the Panca Cinta principles and Maqasid al-Shariah establishes a coherent teleological framework capable of resisting reductionist educational instrumentalism while strengthening transformative pedagogy, ecological responsibility, and relational ethics. Ultimately, this study positions Islamic educational philosophy as a globally relevant alternative paradigm for reconstructing spiritually grounded, human-centered, and ethically transformative education within an increasingly performative post-technocratic world.

References

Abdullah, H., Mohd Zain, F. A., Juahir, H., Che Haron, H. I., Ismail, A., Islam, T., & Sheikh Ahmad Tajuddin, S. A. F. (2025). Developing Tahfiz empowerment index based on Maqasid Shariah. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 18(5), 1066–1091. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-06-2024-0317

Al-Turabi, U. M., & Auda, J. (2025). Toward a Maqāṣid-based legal reform: Systemic thinking for social transformation in the modern Muslim world. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Law, 8(2), 209–228. https://doi.org/10.35719/fhw10v84

Aufa, A. I. ‘Amal, & Baharun, H. (2025). A transformational pedagogical approach to religious education in a multicultural environment. JURNAL ISLAM NUSANTARA, 9(4), 657–671. https://doi.org/10.33852/jurnalnu.v9i4.698

Babacan, T., & Güven, M. (2026). The role of epistemological beliefs and democratic values in curriculum orientations: A mixed-methods study. SAGE Open, 16(1), 21582440251410372. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251410372

Bozkurt, E. (2026). Reframing the discipline: Praxis, legitimacy, and the future of philosophy of education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 58(3), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2025.2584738

Chapman, A. L., & Miller, L. (2022). Awakened schools: The burning imperative of pedagogical relational culture. International Journal of Educational Research, 116, 102089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.102089

Chowdury, S. R. H. (2025). Integrating Sufi ethics into higher education in South Asia: A curriculum analysis. Trabzon İlahiyat Dergisi, 12(Özel Sayı), 193–222. https://doi.org/10.33718/tid.1772074

Daliri-Ngametua, R., & Hardy, I. (2022). The devalued, demoralized and disappearing teacher: The nature and effects of datafication and performativity in schools. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30, 102. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.6174

DeJonckheere, M., Vaughn, L. M., James, T. G., & Schondelmeyer, A. C. (2024). Qualitative thematic analysis in a mixed methods study: Guidelines and considerations for integration. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 18(3), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898241257546

Fadilah, A. R. (2025). The implications of Sufi values in Islamic religious education in the modern era. Ulumuddin: Journal of Islamics Study, 1(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.62824/se74mg86

Fauzi, A., & Darojat, M. H. (2025). Ethical and multicultural considerations in modern curriculum development. Proceeding of International Conference on Islamic Boarding School, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.61159/icop.v2i1.695

Goswami, A. (2025). Deconstructing the collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning (CASEL) framework and the Happiness Curriculum in the context of educational neoliberalism and emotional governance [Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia]. https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0450996

Habibi, H. (2024). Revitalization of the Islamic education paradigm: An Islamic epistemological perspective. Bestari, 21(2), 102. https://doi.org/10.36667/bestari.v21i2.1532

Hamzah, H., Hamzah, M. I., & Zulkifli, H. (2022). Systematic literature review on the elements of metacognition-based higher order thinking skills (HOTS) teaching and learning modules. Sustainability, 14(2), Article 813. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020813

Hidayat, N., Wibowo, Y. R., Salfadilah, F., & Maryam, M. R. (2025). Al-Ghazali’s thought in Islamic education philosophy: Its relevance for basic education. At Turots: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 1382–1394. https://doi.org/10.51468/jpi.v7i2.1180

Irayanti, I. (2026). Teachers’ readiness and pedagogical change in curriculum reform: Why dialogic and critical pedagogy fail to take root in Indonesia primary schools. Asian Education and Development Studies, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-11-2025-0593

Khan, D. A., Abbas, D. G., & Awan, D. T. A. (2025). Sufi contributions to human development and peace: A critical and scholarly analysis. Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT), 8(1), 1607–1621.

Khurshid, F., Veen, M., Thompson, J., & Hegazi, I. (2026). Navigating thematic analysis: Practical strategies grounded in abductive reasoning. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 38(1), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2025.2475098

Leonardi, P. M. (2025). Homo agenticus in the age of agentic AI: Agency loops, power displacement, and the circulation of responsibility. Information and Organization, 35(3), 100582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2025.100582

Macpherson, R. J. S. (2025). Alignments and divergences of twentieth century western moral philosophies from contemporary educative leadership theories. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2025.2573732

Maher, A. J. (2025). Rigour in interpretive qualitative research in education: Ideas to think with. British Educational Research Journal, 51(5), 2099–2115. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4156

Masripah, & Mohammad, Y. (2025). The synergy of moderate Islam and curriculum reform in character education. Sinergi International Journal of Education, 3(2), 82–93. https://doi.org/10.61194/education.v3i2.702

Mayseless, O., & Kizel, A. (2022). Preparing youth for participatory civil society: A call for spiritual, communal, and pluralistic humanism in education with a focus on community of philosophical inquiry. International Journal of Educational Research, 115, 102015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.102015

Mohamed, A. A., Afifi, Z., & Mahmudulhassan, M. (2025). Critical pedagogy in Islamic history education: Applying Henry Giroux’s framework. Bulletin of Islamic Research, 3(3), 541–554. https://doi.org/10.69526/bir.v3i3.363

Naeem, M., Smith, T., & Thomas, L. (2025). Thematic analysis and artificial intelligence: A step-by-step process for using ChatGPT in thematic analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24, 16094069251333886. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251333886

Nimasari, E. P., Cobantoro, A. F., Syafii, M. L., Harmanto, B., Maghfiroh, A., Asiyah, S., Maharani, D. P., Arista, A. A. P., Febiana, I. A., Suhaeny, M. A., Risty, V. F., & Cahyani, E. D. (2025). Contextualizing English reading assessment: Embedding Muhammadiyah values in digital learning for higher education. Yayasan Giri Prapanca Loka, 1(01). https://prapanca.or.id/index.php/ygpl/article/view/51

Phillips, M. J. (2023). Towards a social constructionist, criticalist, Foucauldian-informed qualitative research approach: Opportunities and challenges. SN Social Sciences, 3(10), 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00774-9

Pu, S., & Xu, H. (2024). Curriculum and the cultivation of critical thinking: A critical realist conception. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 56(8), 750–760. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2023.2227380

Stahl, B. C. (2024). Critical responsible innovation – the role(s) of the researcher. Journal of Responsible Innovation, 11(1), 2300162. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2023.2300162

Sulaeman, S., Herianingrum, S., Ryandono, M. N. H., Napitupulu, R. M., Hapsari, M. I., Furqani, H., & Bahari, Z. (2025). Islamic business ethics in the framework of higher ethical objective (Maqasid al-Shariah): A comprehensive analysis and future research directions. International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-12-2024-0398

Ummah, I. I., Usnia, U., Ayubi, S. A., & Rosa, A. (2025). Transformation of Islamic thought in the modern era: Traces of reform and its challenges. INJOSEDU: International Journal of Social and Education, 2(7), 2068–2080.

Usiono, Sayekti, R., Arsyad, J., Yusnaldi, E., & Budiman. (2026). Toward a pedagogical model: Insights from student perspectives in learning Islamic education philosophy. Cogent Education, 13(1), 2645287. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2026.2645287

Wahlström, N. (2023). Curriculum policy, teaching, and knowledge orientations. Teachers and Teaching, 29(3), 259–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2159364

Xiao, X., Li, Y., He, X., Fang, J., Yan, Z., & Xie, C. (2025). An assessment framework of higher-order thinking skills based on fine-tuned large language models. Expert Systems with Applications, 272, 126531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2025.126531

Yu, S., Zhang, Z. (Carey), Zhang, K., & Wang, X. (2026). Disrupting the epistemic closed loop: Re-imagining knowledge production in Islamic finance. Cogent Business & Management, 13(1), 2658136. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2026.2658136

Downloads

Published

2026-05-19